Basil Spaulding (Millspaugh) Ruysdael (1878 - 1960)

Born 24 Jul 1878 in Jersey City, Hudson, New Jersey, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Frances Eleanor (Mason) Ruysdael — married 1915 (to 1923) in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

Husband of Kathleen (Dobbyn) Rusdael — married 15 Jul 1945 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, United States

Died 10 Oct 1960 at age 82 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States

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Biography

Basil (Millspaugh) Ruysdael is Notable.

Basil Ruysdael was an American opera singer, radio announcer, and character actor.

Birth and Youth

Basil was born 24 Jul 1878, in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was the son of Dr. Charles F. Millspaugh and his wife Mary Louisa (Spaulding) Millspaugh.^[1] In 1880, he was a two-year-old boy residing with his parents and maternal grandparents in Barton, Tioga County, New York. His father was then a physician; his grandfather was a lawyer.^[2]

He attended Waverly High School in Tioga County, New York, and then took a "Special Course" in Mechanical Engineering at New York's Cornell University in 1898-99.^[3] While at Cornell, he sung in the Cornell Glee Club. (Basil's great-uncle was Ezra Cornell, founder of the University.) After Cornell, Basil attended the University of Chicago, where he was also a member of the Glee Club.^[4]

As early as 1897, while still a student at Cornell, Basil began using Ruysdael as his surname rather than the surname he had been given at birth and grew up with, Millspaugh. The origin of this name is unclear. In 1915, as he prepared to marry, Basil had his name legally changed.^[5]

By 1900, Basil's family had moved to Chicago, Illinois, due to his father having accepted a teaching position there. In 1900, Basil and his parents were residing at 5948 Madison Ave. in Chicago's Hyde Park District. At age 21, Basil was still listed as a student, although he may have actually graduated a few months prior.^[6]

Career

Basil began his acting career as a member of The Savage Grand Opera Company, and in about 1906, he went to Europe to study. There, he performed for one season in a Bohemian opera house. He returned to the United States in April 1907, aboard the ship Graf Waldersee.^[7]

Upon his return to the United States, he joined the Metropolitan Opera Company of New York, where he sang bass-baritone in the German repertoire. He remained with the Met for eight years, from 1910-1918.

He appeared on Broadway as early as 1912, with a production of Robin Hood. Several more Broadway performances occurred throughout he 1920s.

By 1921, he had moved to California in order to teach voice. Among his more noteworthy students was opera singer Lawrence Tibbett. That year, he was residing at 2062 Highland in Los Angeles.^[8]

In 1929, he made his film debut in the role of Detective Hennessy in the Marx Brothers comedy The Coconuts, a role he had created on Broadway several years earlier. Other significant films include Colorado Territory (1949), Pinky (1949), and Broken Arrow (1950). On television, he portrayed Andrew Jackson in the Wonderful World of Disney miniseries Davey Crockett. His last television role was in a 1959 episode of Perry Mason. His last on-screen film appearance was in The Story of Ruth (1960). In 1961, however, he did give one last off-screen performance sx the voice of the Moving Van Driver in Walt Disney classic animated feature film, One Hundred and One Dalmatians.

Basil also had a significant career in radio. He narrated the NBC Blue Network series Stones of History in 1934 and 1935. He was the announcer on a syndicated program for Rexall in 1939 before becoming the commercial spokesman for DuPont on the NBC Blue Network's Cavalcade of America, in 1940. By 1941, he was a pitchman for Lucky Strike cigarettes, which sponsored several shows including Your Hit Parade, Information Please, and The Jack Benny Show. Ruysdael was also the announcer on Mother and Dad (1944) and The Radio Reader's Digest (1946), both on CBS

Marriages

Basil was married three times:

He married Eleanor Manierre in 1915. They divorced in 1923, without any children.

Basil married second, Rose Swettenham, 7 Jun 1925, at Waterford Connecticut.^[9] In 1930, Basil and Rose were residing in a Manhattan apartment on West 5th Street. He was then described as a radio announcer.^[10]

In 1942, Basil registered for the draft in New York City. He listed his address as 310 E. 44th Street, and his employer as the advertising company Lord & Thomas of 247 Park Avenue. Rather than his wife, he listed Kathleen Dobbyn as the personal who would always know his address. Although he was still married to Rose, he gave Kathleen's address as the same as his own.^[11] Basil and Rose were divorced in 1944, at Broward County, Florida.^[12]

Basil married Kathleen Dobbyn, 15 Jul 1945, at Stamford, Connecticut.

Basil passed away 10 Oct 1960, at a Hollywood, California hospital due to complications from a surgery.^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ New Jersey Births and Christenings Index. 1660-1931. Ancestry.com (database online) Jersey City, Basil S. Millspaugh (1878).
2. ↑ 1880 U.S. Federal Census, Ancestry.com (database online) New York, Tioga County, Barton, ED 204, page 42, dwelling 468, family 500, household of Chas. F Millspaugh.
3. ↑ U.S. College Student Lists, 1763-1924. Ancestry.com (database online with images), New York, Cornell University Alumni Directory, 1922, Vol XIII, No. 2, page 223, Charles Spaulding Millspaugh [image 245].
4. ↑ U.S. School Yearbooks, Ancestry.com (database online with images) Illinois, Chicago, University of Chicago, 1900, The Cap and Gown, page 139.
5. ↑ Star Gazette (Elmira, NY) 18 Feb 1915, page 15.
6. ↑ 1900 U.S. Federal Census, Ancestry.com (database online with images) Illinois, Cook County, City of Chicago, ED 1066, sheet 1A, dwelling 4, family 5, household of Chas Millspaugh.
7. ↑ Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934, Ancestry.com (database online with images), 1907, Direkt Band 189, Graf Waldersee, entry for Basil Millspaugh.
8. ↑ U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry.com (database online with images), California Los Angeles, 1921, Basil Ruysdael, page 2199.
9. ↑ Connecticut Vital Records, Index of Marriages 197-2001, Ctatate Library Data, (database online with images), marriage of Basil Ruysdael and Rose Swettenham (1925), Available at: https://www.ctatatelibrarydata.org/marriage-records
10. ↑ 1930 U.S. Federal Census, Ancestry.com (database online with images) New York, New York County, Borough of Manhattan, ED 367, sheet 21A, dwelling 82, family 159, household of Basil Ruysdael.
11. ↑ U.S World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942. Ancestry.com (database online with images) New York (City), Local Board 14, Serial # 764, Basil M. Ruysdael.
12. ↑ Florida Divorce Index, 1927-2001. Ancestry.com (database online with images) Certificate #8323, Rose Ruysdael vs. Basil Ruysdael.
13. ↑ California Death Index, 1940-1997. Ancestry.com (database Online) Los Angeles County, Basil M. Ruysdael (1960).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6659111/basil-ruysdael : accessed 27 February 2022), memorial page for Basil Ruysdael (24 Jul 1888–10 Oct 1960), Find a Grave Memorial ID 6659111, ; Maintained by Find a Grave Burial Details Unknown.

See also:

• Wikipedia: Basil Ruysdael
• Wikidata: Item Q323595
• IMDB: Basil Ruysdael
• WikiTree: Classic Disney Project